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TheProject has long been a target for critics, but the program’s hosts tell Siobhan Duck it offers much more than just the news
CYNICAL headlines are the backbone of the news business. And the hosts of The Project – Network 10’s flagship current-events and entertainment program – have heard, and read, them all, relying on a successful blend of cynicism, wry wonkiness and humour that have made the series a TV mainstay for more than 12 years.
But what was served up in
2009 as an exotic dish promising “news delivered differently” has, some critics say, grown stale – particularly as the show must now compete with fresher options across various platforms, particularly social media.
From an ever-revolving door of panellists with eyebrow-raising salaries to attention-getting segments both fair and foul, its unique blend of news and comedy have, of late, been garnering mixed reviews. And when ratings started slumping last spring, naysayers started to wonder if The Project would either undergo a reboot, or even get the boot, in 2022.
That would be, well, news to the folks behind the desk – weekday regulars Peter Helliar, Carrie Bickmore, Waleed Aly and Lisa Wilkinson – who say it would be premature to put a fork in them yet.
“I would have paid almost exactly zero attention,” Aly says of the idle talk around ratings woes and format changes.
“It just feels like familiar dance
steps. It stops and it starts. And I’m not sure it has any connection to anything really happening.”
Comedian and actor Helliar, who joined the panel in 2014, is equally nonchalant.
“Somebody told me there was a bit of blood in the water for us at the moment,” he says with a laugh, before turning serious as he considers widerranging feedback.
“It is confusing when you can see some of the trolling of the show on social media. It’s not like the old days when there were only four channels to choose from, so I can imagine you would get angry if none of
these shows are catering to your nature. But there are a million on TV now. I don’t understand why anyone would spend any time criticising the show. Just move on to the next one.”
Not so subjective are viewer numbers. But Daniel Monaghan, senior vice president of content and programming at Network
10, says overnight ratings are no longer the sole way to gauge the success of a show.
“Australians have more choice than ever before when it comes to where and how they view content,” he explains.
“While overnight ratings are still important to the industry, the full picture is becoming more important.”
For that broader perspective, The Project still relies upon its original recipe of tough journalism paired with engaging television personalities. In this regard, the show’s proponents are vocal about its impact. Last year, Sunday Project co-host Lisa Wilkinson received a Walkley Award nomination for her groundbreaking interview with sexual-assault survivor Brittany Higgins, and the show itself received an AACTA nod for
Best Factual Entertainment Program. Many of Wilkinson and Aly’s rousing commentaries go viral, while Aly and Bickmore have won Gold Logies – a testament to their popularity.
As Bickmore points out, the show fills a void in that it provides informative viewing without fearmongering, giving households an opportunity to watch and digest the big headlines together.
“In a year that has been fraught and negative in the news space, I feel like, hopefully, kids got what they needed to learn, but didn’t feel frightened about the world [from us],” she says.
“The number of people who tell me they felt comforted when turning on the TV at night is lovely. Because we’re like family with each other, and we feel like an extension of families at home.”
THE PROJECT
6.30PM, WEEKNIGHTS AND SUNDAYS, NETWORK 10